Plasma reactor-separator

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to arc-heating plasma reactors for simultaneous making of refractory, metal and non-metal material melt and sublimates having a high degree of a melt viscosity and can be used in cement, chemical industries and metallurgy. The aim of the present invention is to provide the increase of a performance of a furnace lining, the serviceability, a furnace capacity, a finished product quality, the decrease of a power supply, making and separation of associated binding agents, non-ferrous metals in the form of melts and sublimates. Said aim is attained that in the present plasma reactor-separator for a melt making comprising a cylindrical chamber, the hollow bar electrodes passing into a chamber through its upper lid but the elements are set into their cavities in the form of shelves or in the form of a screw, a hole for bringing in and bringing out of a melt, two coils encompassing the chamber and set one above the other throughout its height, a channel for bringing out of the lighter binding agent melt is located between the hole for a metallic melt bringing out in the back surface of the chamber and the lower coil, a raw furnace charge is brought in by means of four side feeders, through the channels, located in the chamber walls at angle of 90° on the same horizontal plane relatively each other in the upper part of the chamber over a melt surface resulting in a skull formation as cone-shaped slopes on a melt mirror, the heat-exchange granulating elements (granulator) for cooling, granulation and utilization of a heat of a clinker melt made as metallic on the inside water-cooled cylinders revolving on their axis in the opposites directions from each other.

This application is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 USC 371of International Application PCT/RU02/00441filed Oct. 3, 2002.

The invention relates to arc-heating plasma reactors for simultaneousmaking of refractory, metal and non-metal material melt and sublimates,preferably, of special types of clinkers of artificial binding agentshaving a high degree of a melt viscosity and associated non-ferrousmetals and can be used in cement, chemical industries and metallurgy.

The plasma reactor-separator comprising a chamber having a cylindricalbody, the hollow bar electrodes passing into the chamber through itshermetically sealed lid but the heat-exchange elements made in the formof inclined emptying shelves are set into the cavities of saidelectrodes slowing down a batch material falling and/or the impedimentalheat-exchange elements made in the form of a screw, a hole for bringingout of a metal melt in the hearth, the upper and lower electromagneticcoils encompassing the chamber and set one above the other throughoutits height. The upper coil is connected with a drive for a displacementof said coil relatively a longitudinal and cross-section of thecylindrical body of the chamber. The reactor is provided with rollersand a ring, said ring having a variable height relatively its lowersurface forming on its upper surface a guiding track contacting with alower plane of the upper coil by means of the rollers but a lowersurface of the ring is rested upon a number of the rollers one of whichis a leading one and is connected with a drive of the upper coilensuring a rotary motion of the ring relatively said coil. An additionalchannel for bringing out of the lighter binding agent melt is locatedbetween the hole for bringing out of a metal melt in the back surface ofthe chamber and the lower coil. Four side feeders located in the chamberwalls at angle of 90° on the same horizontal plane relatively each otherin the upper part of the chamber over a melt surface for bringing in ofa raw furnace-charge (10% of a total quantity of a furnace feed)resulting in a skull formation as cone-shaped slopes on a melt mirrorallowing to avoid thermo-chemical corrosion of a furnace lining. Theinvention provides to improve substantially the service ability and thecapacity of the reactor, a quality of finished product, to decreasepower inputs at 30%.

The present invention relates to equipment for a simultaneous making ofrefractory, metal and non-metal materials and sublimates, preferably, ofspecial types of clinkers of artificial binding agents, for example, acement clinker having a high degree of a melt viscosity and associatedmetal alloys and can be used in cement industry.

Known in the present state of the art is equipment for a materialmelting, preferably, a cement clinker, comprising a cylindrical chamber,a bar element passing in the camber through its upper lid, a hole forbringing in of batch materials in the arch and bringing out of saidmaterials in the hearth, two electromagnetic coils encompassing achamber (certificate of invention USSR No. 1,020,738, MKL F27B 14/06,1981).

The disadvantage of such equipment is unsatisfactory local mixing of amelt and as a result of it, unsatisfactory quality of a finishedproduct, insecurity of a melt system and its separation on bindingagents and metals as a tap-hole is common.

The nearest to the technical solution and achievable result is theplasma reactor for a material melting, preferably, a cement clinker,comprising a cylindrical chamber, the hollow bar electrodes passing inthe chamber through its upper lid, a hole for bringing in of reagents inthe chamber arch and bringing out of said reagents in the hearth, twoelectromagnetic coils encompassing a chamber and set one above the otherthroughout its height (Patent of Russian Federation No 2176277 C22 B9/22, N 05 B 7/18 dated Nov. 27, 2001. Bulletin N33, application datedDec. 28, 2000. (Author Yu. A. Burlov and others)).

The disadvantage of such equipment is a lack of installation tightnesscausing air inflows and oxidizing atmosphere in the working area of thereactor and resulting in electrode life decrease, thermo-chemicalcorrosion increase effecting negatively upon a furnace lining (there arelining burnings at the border with a melt mirror) and decrease oftemperature at the border in the reactor area.

It is an object of the present invention to improve a furnace liningperformance, a serviceability, a furnace capacity, a finished productquality, to decrease of power supply, making and selective separation ofassociated binding agents, non-ferrous metals in the form of melts andsublimates.

According to the present invention there is provided the plasma reactorfor simultaneous making of refractory metal and non-metal material meltand sublimates, preferably, of special types of a clinker of artificial,binding agents in the form of a melt having a high degree of viscosityand associated non-ferrous metals comprising a cylindrical chamber, thehollow bar electrodes passing into a chamber through its upper lid butthe heat-exchange elements made in the form of inclined emptying shelvesare set into the cavities of said electrodes slowing down a batchmaterial falling or in the form of a screw, a hole for bringing out of ametallic melt in the back surface of the chamber, the upper and lowerelectromagnetic coils encompassing the chamber and set one above theother throughout its height, the upper coil is connected with a drivefor a displacement of said coil relatively a longitudinal andcross-section of a cylindrical body of the chamber, the reactor isprovided with rollers and a ring, said ring having a variable heightrelatively its lower surface forming on its upper surface a guidingtrack contacting with a lower plane of the upper coil by means ofrollers but the lower surface of said ring is rested upon a number ofrollers, one of which is a leading one and is connected with a drive ofthe upper coil drive causing a rotary motion of the ring relatively saidcoil, an additional channel for bringing out of a melt of the lighterbinding agents is located between the hole for bringing out of a metalmelt in the hearth of the chamber and the lower coil, four side feederslocated in the chamber walls at angle of 90° on the same horizontalplane relatively each other in the upper part of the chamber over a meltsurface for bringing in of a raw furnace-charge (10% of a total numberof a furnace feed) resulting in a skull formation as cone-shaped slopeson a melt mirror allowing to avoid thermo-chemical corrosion of afurnace lining, the heat-exchange granulating elements (granulator) forcooling, granulation and utilization of a clinker melt heat, made in theform of metallic on the inside water-cooled cylinders revolving on theiraxis in the other sides from each other.

FIG. 1 depicts the plasma reactor-separator;

FIG. 2 depicts plasma reactor-separator (view from above).

The plasma reactor-separator comprising (see FIG. 1) a water-cooledcylindrical chamber 1, the bar hollow electrodes 2 and 3 passing in thechamber 1 through its upper lid 4 but the heat-exchange elements made inthe form of inclined emptying shelves 5 are set into the cavities ofsaid electrodes slowing down a batch material falling. By that for easeworking the electrode having a squared shape in a cross-section but theshelves can be inserted into the holes in the bar walls. The electrode 3in its cavity can include an element in the form of screw 6 slowing downa falling of a batch material. The lid 4 is also equipped with a channel7 for waste gases disposal including sublimates of non-ferrous metalsand a tap-hole 8 for flaming slag introduction.

In the back surface 9 of the chamber 1 a valve 10 is located covering atap-hole for bringing out of a metal melt. Throughout the height theupper 11 and the lower 12 electromagnetic coils are mounted one abovethe other encompassing a chamber 1, upper coil 11 is connected with adrive for its displacement relatively a longitudinal and cross-sectionof a cylindrical body of chamber 1.

The upper electromagnetic coil 11 is equipped with rollers 13 restingupon a plane of a guiding track 14. The lower part of a guiding track 14in its turn is rested upon rollers 15 mounted on bearings 16. Thebearings 16 are set into mantle ring 17 being rigid to the body ofchamber 1. One of the rollers 18 which a guiding track is rested upon isa leading one and is connected with a motor-reductor 20 by means ofshaft 19. The channel 21 for bringing out of a melt of the lighterbinding agents, for example, a cement clinker, is located between alower coil 12 and a valve 10. (Locking channel 21 and a valveconditionally are not shown).

Four side feeders 22 (see FIG. 2) for a raw furnace-charge bringing in(10% of a total number of a furnace feed) the channel 23 located in thewalls of chamber 1 at angle 90° on the same horizontal plane relativelyeach other in the upper part of the chamber over a melt surfaceresulting in a skull 24 formation as cone-shaped slopes on a meltmirror.

Under the channel 21 there are metallic long cylinders 25 on the insidewater-cooled, revolving on their axis in the other sides from each otherdesigned for heat-exchange and granulation of binding agent melt.

The plasma reactor-separator operates in the following way:

The dry raw furnace-charge is brought in the channel 23 by means of theside feeders 22 located in the walls of the chamber 1 at angle 90° onthe same horizontal plane relatively each other in the upper part of thechamber over a melt surface for a skull lining formation from thematerial itself at the border of a melt mirror resulting in a skullformation as cone-shaped slopes on a melt mirror thereby thermo-chemicalcorrosion of a furnace lining is excluded. The dry raw furnace-chargebrought in the chamber 1 contains in calculated quantity the chemicalcompounds ensuring, when melting, the artificial binding agentproduction, for example, a cement clinker.

Using of wastes, for example, of chemical wastes and also metallurgicalwastes as a raw material some quantity of non-ferrous metals iscontained in wastes.

The electrode ends are brought together inside the chamber and pulleddown in the lower part of chamber 1, below a lower coil 12. When a levelof a batch material is raised up to electrode ends, a voltage is appliedon said ends, for example, direct voltage from a transformer.

The electrode ends are brought together to contact. Pulling electrodesapart an electric arc discharge (arc) is formed constituting alow-temperature plasma. At the cost of it the material is heated in thechamber up to a melting temperature. In the process of a clinker burninga melting temperature reaches 2000-2100° C. When a level of a melt israised over the lower coil 12 a voltage is applied on a block of saidcoil. The chamber walls are made of a non-magnetic material, forexample, steel, containing a large quantity of nickel, chrome andtitanium. The electro-magnetic field produced as a result of a currentpassing through a coil acts upon a melt which becomes resistance in aliquid state. Temperature is hold at the achieved level (owing to an arcdischarge) by means of inductive current. Material is fed throughcavities of the electrodes 2, 3 when a melt mass is increased and theelectrodes are warmed-up over 1000° C. inside the chamber. By that inthe electrode 2 a batch material is emptied from a shelf on a shelf 5which are warmed up to temperature being close to the electrodetemperature. At a relatively slow (in comparison with a vertical fall)displacement of a material and having a direct contact with a heatedsurface of the shelves a heat is transferred from shelves to saidmaterial and said material (preliminary warmed-up) brought totemperature of carbonate dissociation falls into the melt surface and ismelted having a greater rate as in this case exothermal reactionsalready go releasing a heat. By that an efficiency of a melting chamberis being increased. A batch material is also heated in the electrode 3but in this case a heating takes place when the material is moving alonga helical surface. When a melt is raised above a coil 11 a voltage isapplied on said helical surface. By that a motor-reductor 20 is turnedon. Through a shaft 19 a rotary motion is transferred to a roller 18which closely contacting with a lower surface of a guiding track 14, inits turn, set said guiding track into a rotary motion on the rollers 15relatively a roller bearing 17 of a cylindrical surface of the chamber 1and the coil 11 owing to the fact that the coil 11 is mounted on therollers 13 contacting with the upper surface of a guiding track 14, to aholding of a coil from a turn around a body of a chamber 1 (a holdingdevice conventionally isn't shown on fig.). The rotation of a guidingtrack promotes an oscillatory motion of the coil 11 in the planescrossing a longitudinal (vertical) axis of the furnace. The magneticfield also changes its position during oscillatory motions of a coil 11,said magnetic field is produced inside a resistance melt being activelymixed and additionally heated. As a result of a melt mixing for theaccount of a revolving magnetic field produced by means of a three-phasecoil and of an oscillatory motion of coil itself a melt is homogenizedthat actively promotes the increase of a plant capacity and improving abasic production, for example, a cement clinker. A rate of stirring isset by a rate of a magnetic field change and is dependent on frequencyand power of an alternating current and a mechanical oscillation speedof the coil which in its turn is dependent on the speed of a guidingtrack rotation. The rate of stirring is controlled in dependence of amelt viscosity but said viscosity—in dependence of temperature of saidmelt. Having the data on a melt temperature one can also set a speed ofa coil 11 oscillations.

For making of a cement clinker when melting a furnace charge containinga small amount of rare metals, some of said metals whose meltingtemperature is slightly higher than a clinker melt (in exception oftungsten and molybdenum) settle in the back surface 9 of a chamber 1over a valve 10 and periodically are released in the moulds. A metaldeposition takes place for the account of the fact that their densityminimum in two times higher than a density of a clinker melt.

The vapors of easily sublimable rare metals (for example, lithium)together with carbon dioxide evolved as a result of carbonaceouscomponent decarbonization of a clinker furnace charge are released underaction of discharging in the channel 7 in special separation deviceswhere vapors of metal oxides are condensed but carbon dioxide can beused for making of artificial ice or can be again brought in the reactorthrough the electrodes by means of a special supercharger. Sublimates ofmetal oxides are further processed into a qualified product manufacture.

Four side feeders 22 through channels 23 located in the chamber 1 wallsat angle 90° on the same horizontal plane relatively each other in theupper part of the chamber over a melt surface for bringing of a rawfurnace charge in (10% of a total quantity of a furnace feed) resultingin a skull formation as cone-shaped slopes at the periphery of a meltmirror allowing to avoid thermo-chemical corrosion of furnace lining.

A clinker melt periodically or continuously (at coordinated bringing ofa raw material in the chamber 1) is poured in the granulator for a heatrecovery of a melt and a granulation of said melt. A granulator isconstructed in the form of on the inside water-cooled metallic cylinders25 revolving on their axis in the other sides from each other. (A coil12 can be shifted in the channel 21 area for a clinker melt viscositydecreasing).

A cooled off clinker is reduced to fragments to make a cement. So, forthe account of a preliminary thermal treatment of a furnace charge theherein—proposed equipment allows to improve productivity but for theaccount of an active stirring and a speed control of a melt cooling—toupgrade quality, variety of finished product properties. At the sametime a reactor embodiment provides to manufacture co-products in theform of their melt and sublimates.

1. A plasma reactor-separator for simultaneous making of refractorymetal and non-metal material melt and sublimates comprising: a chamberhaving a cylindrical body, hollow bar electrodes passing into thechamber through its upper sealed lid, heat-exchange elements slowingdown a batch material falling are set into electrode cavities, a channelfor waste gas evacuation and sublimates is located in the sealed lid, ahole for bringing out of a melt of refractory metallic materials in aback surface of the chamber, upper and lower electromagnetic coilsencompassing the chamber and set one above the other throughout itsheight, said upper coil is connected with a drive for a displacement ofsaid coil relatively a longitudinal and cross-section of a cylindricalbody of the chamber, a channel for bringing out of refractorynon-metallic material melt is located between a hole for bringing out ofrefractory metallic material melt and a lower coil, rollers and a ring,said ring having a variable height relatively its lower surface formingon the upper surface of said ring a guiding track contacting with alower plane of the upper coil by means of the rollers, the lower surfaceof the ring is rested upon a number of rollers, one of which is aleading one and is connected with a drive of the upper coil ensuring arotary motion of the ring relatively said upper coil, wherein it isprovided with four side feeders having channels for bringing in of apart of a dry batch material and for a skull formation as cone-shapedslopes on a furnace lining at a border of a melt mirror, said channelsare located at angle 90° on the same horizontal plane relatively eachother in the upper part of the chamber over a melt surface.
 2. Theplasma reactor-separator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising aheat-exchange granulating elements (granulator) for cooling, granulationand utilization of heat of a clinker melt made as metallic cylinders,said cylinders are water-cooled from the inside and revolving on theiraxis in the opposites direction from each other.
 3. The plasmareactor-separator as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the heat-exchangeelements are made as inclined emptying shelves.
 4. The plasmareactor-separator as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the heat-exchangeelements are made as a screw.